Help your garden grow and avoid danger

Staying safe with pesticides means staying informed

Mother Nature can use a little helping hand now and again,
especially when it comes to making sure your garden flowers bloom and
vegetables thrive. And while pesticides can be a blessing, they need to be used
responsibly.

The most important thing to understand is to use them
correctly. A specialist from the National Pesticide Information Center,
which operates as a cooperative between Oregon State University and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, advised that not reading the label or
misunderstanding it can be a dangerous mistake.

Read the label and stay safe

When working with potentially dangerous chemicals, you need
to know exactly what you’re doing. For example, if you’re working with a
concentrate, how much do you actually dilute the substance? Having the right
information can also provide necessary clarification on the weather conditions
that may prohibit application: Rain could cause it to be washed away, wind may blow
it to another area, and if it’s too hot, it could evaporate.

Pesticides also may call for only certain use situations.
For example, certain insecticides are to only be used on leaves, anywhere else
and it may become a health concern, even if the item has low toxicity.

Reading the label can also provide guidelines about what
protective equipment should be worn. Some pesticides require you to wear
goggles, gloves and closed-toe shoes to minimize exposure. Contact with a
pesticide can be as minor as nasal irritation and burning or tingling of the
skin. But consequences could also be serious or even fatal, especially for
children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

What to do when things go wrong

If you’re overexposed to a dangerous pesticide, it’s important
to know what to do, and the label may have valuable information for you. As a general
rule for skin or eye exposure, rinse the affected area with cool water to help
minimize contact.

Ingestion of a pesticide makes treatment a bit trickier, but
the first step remains to check the label. Some pesticides may require you to
drink water to dilute the toxin, but with others, drinking water may cause your
exposure to worsen. If you have questions, contact the American Association of
Poison Control Centers at 1-800-222-1222. The staff on hand is medically
trained and they will surely ask you to have the product’s label nearby so you
can answer any questions.

Remember, when in doubt, check the label and make sure you
understand it.

SafeBee Top Three

Always read the label.

Follow all of the product's safety guidelines and use specifications.

Call Poison Control if you come into contact with a pesticide and don't know the best way to seek treatment.